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SA confident Lions can make final

Sunday, July 22, 2018
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South Africans believe they have the best possible outcome in their hopes of having the Lions claim the Investec Super Rugby title when they host the Waratahs in Sunday's (NZT) semifinal in Johannesburg.

The Lions beat the Jaguares and the Waratahs the Highlanders to set up the game while the Crusaders will host the Hurricanes in Christchurch.

"If they [the Waratahs] had won that, it would have been the Lions having to travel. So lots of things have gone in the Lions' favour for the past two weeks, they must really seize the opportunity now," he said.

The Sharks had found it difficult travelling to New Zealand while the Waratahs would find it tough playing at altitude, so all the signs pointed to a Crusaders-Lions final.

He added: "I think the Crusaders are one of the best direct teams in the competition.

"We all talk about this lateral play of the All Blacks, how they go from one side to the other. But this team is very direct.

"They play flat, on the advantage line, they step very well and their understanding of when to offload is so good. They won't throw a 50-50 pass, they try and hold on to the ball.

"Patience is such a key. They so often make short passes, not skip passes, just quick hands to the guy next door and really straight running. It is just copybook rugby that you would team a senior team at school," he said.

Meanwhile, Mallett said hooker Malcolm Marx's performance in the Lions' win over the Jaguares ensured that he is the best hooker in the world.

"We have had a great captain in John Smit as a hooker, we had Bismarck du Plessis, who was the best in the world in his time. Suddenly out of nowhere pops Marx, the best in the world in my opinion, at a very young age already," he said.

Marx's work in the tight-loose was 'quite extraordinary'.

"He wasn't there during the June internationals, but he is going to be there for the Springboks during the Rugby Championship.

"He is an absolute menace around the ball, you cannot move him, he is completely legal and when he is on the ball, that ball is lost. Alsi, he has the vision to read the pass of the Jaguares' scrumhalf, intercept and run 40m to score a try. He was extraordinary," Mallett said.